Japanese Sometsuke Jar Vase, Cobalt Ground with Reserved Fruit Vine Pattern, Crackle Glaze

BLUE EVERYWHERE, WITH THE PATTERN LEFT IN LIGHT

The whole vase is dipped in deep cobalt blue, and the design is what the blue leaves behind: fruit with cross-hatched skins, pointed leaves and curling tendrils, glowing pale against the dark. Where the blue is thick it is nearly navy, and where it thins it turns soft and misty. A glossy clear glaze covers it, crazed in a fine network of crackle that runs across the shoulder and into the neck. The rim is edged in blue, and a faint mark is impressed in the base. This is a round blue-and-white jar vase for the shelf, a table or a single branch.

QUICK FACTS
• Type: round jar vase / bud vase, no lid, glazed
• Style: blue-and-white (sometsuke-style) underglaze cobalt [origin unconfirmed]
• Decoration: deep cobalt-blue ground with fruit, leaf and vine motifs left light (reserved)
• Method: [hand-painted / stencilled / transfer-printed: confirm under magnification]
• Glaze: glossy clear glaze with all-over crackle (貫入); pale cream glaze inside
• Rim: blue-edged flared lip with a ribbed ring at the neck
• Body: cream clay, unglazed on the foot ring, with an iron-brown line at its edge [stoneware or porcelain: confirm]
• Base: glazed well with a faint impressed mark [reading pending]
• Origin: Japan 

WHAT IS SOMETSUKE?
Sometsuke (染付) is blue-and-white ware: cobalt blue (呉須, gosu) is applied to the body before a clear glaze is added and the piece is fired, and the blue deepens under the glaze. The pattern can be applied by brush, through a stencil, by spraying, or by transfer printing, which became common in Japan from the Meiji era onward. We have not confirmed which method was used on this vase.

THE CRACKLE GLAZE
The fine network of lines across the glaze is called kannyū (貫入). It forms when the glaze shrinks more than the clay as the vase cools, and it is a feature of this piece, not damage. Crackle can let water and stains seep in, so we recommend a liner for flowers, and wiping with a dry or barely damp cloth.

FRUIT AND VINE
Grapes and pomegranates are auspicious motifs across East Asia, standing for abundance and many descendants. The fruit and vines on this vase echo that tradition. We describe the shapes by what we see and do not name the fruit.

THE BASE
The base is glazed, with an unglazed foot ring in cream and a thin iron-brown line at its edge, a feature found on pottery of many ages, so we do not use it to date the vase. A faint mark is impressed in the glaze, too worn to read in our photographs. We have not deciphered it and do not claim a maker.

DISPLAY NOTE
Sold as a decorative vase. The glaze has not been tested for lead or other substances, so we do not recommend using it for food or drink. NOT FOR FOOD USE. If used for flowers, use a liner and check for hairlines first.

CONDITION AND AUTHENTICITY
Sold as a blue-and-white sometsuke-style jar vase, [maker, origin and age unconfirmed]. Crackle across the glaze is part of its character. [Describe chips, hairlines, glaze loss, stains.] Please review all photos and ask any question before buying.

SHIPPING
Packed in double-boxed protection with foam and paper cushioning, with extra padding around the neck and rim. Ships worldwide with tracking.